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how do you define a relapse?

Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:30 pm
by spokz
hey y'all

I'm fairly newly diagnosed August 2012.

my neuro and Ms nurse tell me that a relapse is classed as flare or new symptoms lasting more than 24 hours

so for the past two days I've had muscle spasms or twitching in my hands especially my thumbs.

I'm asking as last time I went to my local hospital with right leg pain they umm'd and ahh'd about admitting me then decided not to and re brain MRI'd me which found nothing, but they also gave me Lyrica for Nerve pain which I took for a couple of weeks but stopped taking as I felt they didn't help, I still have considerable weakness in my right leg and have also noticed I struggle to move after sitting and what I call it is walk like a duck. however the limp is noticeable to the point ppl ask whats wrong..

not sure if I should bother with waiting and going back to the hospital or if this if enough to call my neuro? or is this a symptom i shouldnt be concerned about?

Please note I have Brain and spinal lesions, 2 relapses since June 2012 and on betaferon injections.

any suggestions is appreciated

Re: how do you define a relapse?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 3:24 pm
by lyndacarol
As always, I suggest that you request your doctor to perform a "fasting blood insulin test."

Re: how do you define a relapse?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 3:29 pm
by spokz
I spoke to my Neuro who said when my body is healing after the last relapse I can expect some weird symptoms like this twitching.

how would I go about asking my doctor to do this test?

Re: how do you define a relapse?

Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:22 pm
by lyndacarol
http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/index2.htm
Factor # 1 : Your Insulin Level
Insulin is absolutely essential to staying alive, but the sad fact is that most of you reading this have too much floating around, and it is pushing you towards chronic degenerative illness and increasing the rate at which you age.
Most adults have about one gallon of blood in their bodies and are quite surprised to learn that in that gallon, there is only one teaspoon of sugar! You only need one teaspoon of sugar at all times -- if that. If your blood sugar level were to rise to one tablespoon of sugar you would quickly go into a hyperglycemic coma and die.
Your body works very hard to prevent this by producing insulin to keep your blood sugar at the appropriate level. Any meal or snack high in grain and sugar carbohydrates typically generates a rapid rise in blood glucose. To compensate for this your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream, which lowers your blood sugar to keep you from dying.
However, if you consume a diet consistently high in sugar and grains, over time your body becomes "sensitized" to insulin and requires more and more of it to get the job done. Eventually, you become insulin resistant, and then diabetic.If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or are overweight, it is highly likely that you are eating too many grains -- yes, even unrefined whole grains -- as this is the most common culprit causing your insulin level to become abnormal.
Compounding the problem, when your insulin levels rise due to an excess of carbohydrates, they send your body a hormonal message telling it to store fat while holding on to the fat that is already there. So not only will excess carbohydrates make you overweight, they will effectively hamper your weight loss efforts too.

Your Fasting Blood Insulin Test
To find out your insulin levels, you need to get tested by your doctor. The test you need to ask for is a fasting blood insulin test, The test is done by just about every commercial laboratory and is relatively inexpensive.
Facts about Your Fasting Insulin Test:
This test is profoundly useful. It's one of the least expensive tests in traditional medicine, yet it is one of the most powerful. A normal fasting blood insulin level is below 5, but ideally you'll want to be below 3.
• You can safely ignore the reference ranges from the lab as they are based on "normals" of a population that has highly-disturbed insulin levels.
• This is a great test to do BEFORE you start your program as you can use it to assess how well you are progressing in the program.
• If your level is above 5 you will want to consider significantly reducing most sugars and grains, even whole wheat grains, until you lower your level. Once you've normalized your insulin level you can reintroduce grains into your diet at a lower level to optimize your health.
• Exercise is of enormous benefit in improving the sensitivity of your insulin receptors, and help normalize your insulin level far more quickly.
Discuss the possibility of skeletal muscle insulin resistance with your physician. Emphasize your desire to have this insulin test – maybe even offer to pay for it out-of-pocket (This offer may reinforce to him your intensity.) I hope you have a good working relationship with your GP; he is more likely to consider that the cause of your symptoms may be in the muscles themselves. A neurologist will be considering only "the nerves" as the source of your problems.